This cross country season had some very exciting performances from both the boys’ and girls’ teams. With multiple school and course records broken, racing at very prestigious meets, and competing against very tough competition, this season will be one to remember.
On the girls’ side, the team ran very well throughout the season, performing at new races, drastically improving, and reaching their goals. Carole Hakstian, the team’s head coach, noted that “Despite the fact that 15 out of 18 girls were new to the team this season, the girls Varsity and JV squads all raced well and delivered strong results all season.
Junior Stella Finley (top left), sophomore Emma Wenzel-James (top right), and senior Sakina Woods (bottom) during their race at the North Bay League Championships on November 9th. Photo Credit: Lawson Gaylord.
The varsity girls’ team finished an impressive 4th at the North Bay League Oak championship at Spring Lake. Senior Sakina Woods led the team in this race, running a big personal record and placing 4th, behind three state-level competitors. Woods, the Girls Team Captain, along with junior Stella Finley, the Varsity Team Captain, and sophomore Emma Wenzel-James made up a strong trio that led the team throughout the year.
Hakstian also noted that earlier on in the season, “Analy competed at the prestigious Clovis Invitational for the first time in recent history (or ever!) and our top girls ran competitively and held their own in a very strong heat.” This race was one of the most difficult this season, but the girls accepted the challenge and conquered it. Hakstian finishes by saying “Hearty applause for our Girls Varsity team: Sakina Woods, Stella Finley, Emma Wenzel-James, Miriam Hall, Sabrina Elson, Azalie Curran Flores and Taylor Magee for their perseverance and dedication.”
The JV girls squad had a very impressive fall. Starting the season by running two-mile courses, the girls quickly showed their determination and as the season progressed proved that they could handle the three-mile races as well. “Nylah Hudgens (JV turned Varsity) led the Frosh/Soph girls at the Wilder Mariner Invitational and all of our girls proved they were ready for the 3-mile distance,” says Hakstian. The JV girls finished a very impressive 3rd place at the NBL Championships – just behind the super stacked teams of Maria Carillo and Santa Rosa. Congrats to our entire JV girls team: Addy Provan, Adelaide Ower, America Inda, Elia DelMonte, Everly Andersen, Grace Weekley, Keira McKnight, Louise Van Den Storm, Norma Gonsalves, and Nylah Hudgens!
Junior Owen Dawson (left) passes fellow teammate senior Cormac Gaylord (right) at the Wilder Mariner Invitational on October 19th. Photo Credit: Lawson Gaylord.
The boys also had a stellar season. First, every school record was broken this year by one of the top two runners on the varsity team – Varsity Boys Captain Owen Dawson (Junior) and Boys Team Captain Cormac Gaylord (Senior). Not only did they break every school record, but they also both qualified for the state meet in Clovis, where they competed against some of the top runners in the state. This is the first time in the history of the Analy XC program that two Analy runners went to state in the same year. Hakstian also points out that “In the face of much stronger competition resulting from the recent realignment of the NBL where Analy was moved to the Oak Division from Redwood Division, our boys showed no hesitation competing with the Oak runners. In fact, our [Varsity] boys were often seen leading the pack as they eagerly embraced the challenge of competing against perennial NBL powerhouse schools Maria Carrillo, Montgomery, Santa Rosa, and Windsor.” The entire Varsity Boys team pushed hard throughout the season, winning races, setting records, and proving to be some of the best. Congratulations to our Boys Varsity team: Cormac Gaylord, Owen Dawson, Logan Dickson, Quince Holman, Bear Vanden Heuvel, Choegyal Hergenrather, Songtsen Hergenrather, and Aidan Berg.
Hakstian also said she was very proud of the JV boys’ season. “We had nine frosh boys on the team this season, all racing a new distance (3 miles instead of 2 miles in middle school) against athletes with higher training miles and more racing experience,” she says. At the Tri-meet against Santa Rosa and Windsor, the top JV boys finished 2-3-4 and beat Windsor by an impressive 20-point margin. Congrats to the boys JV team: Jeffery Gonsalvez, Davin Jorgensen, Jackson Tommila, Anders Brenden, Angel Salgado Lopez, Ben McKnight, Blake Ryan, Brayden MacQuarrie, Jaden Coppla, Landon Greene, Lawson Gaylord, Milo Baptista, Rowley Morgan, and Wyatt Kirby.
Now that the XC season is over, many of these athletes are getting ready for the Spring Track Season. In my interview with Hakstian, she outlined a few reasons why you might want to join the team for the track season.
- “Everyone is welcome. We don’t cut any athletes. The more, the merrier.
- We encourage everyone to explore different events in track & field to discover what suits them best.
- Track & Field and Cross Country are team sports and every athlete is a valued member of the team.
- A great way to get an introduction to track is to join a relay team. This is a friendly and fun way to give racing a try. There are many options and they are all fun: 4 x 100, 4 x400m, 4 x 800m, distance medley relay (1,200, 400, 800, 1,600).
- Our experienced staff will help guide you and coach you to become stronger and faster athletes, whether you are a runner, jumper, thrower, hurdler, or vaulter.
- Analy will have a very strong T&F program in 2025. We have the potential to win NBLs on the boys side so come out and be part of a winning team! On the girls side, we will also have a competitive team. We have many returning athletes with a lot of experience and who will gladly share their knowledge and welcome all new [athletes].”
This season has been incredible – from the records broken to the races won. Congratulations to every athlete who competed, trained, and pushed themselves with this team. Cross county running and racing is not for the faint of heart.
